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Nafion/Surface Modified Ceria Hybrid Membranes for Fuel Cell Application.

ABSTRACT: Low chemical durability of proton exchange membranes is one the main factors limiting their lifetime in fuel cells. Ceria nanoparticles are the most common free radical scavengers. In this work, hybrid membranes based on Nafion-117 membrane and sulfonic or phosphoric acid functionalized ceria synthesized from various precursors were prepared by the in situ method for the first time. Ceria introduction led to a slight decrease in conductivity of hybrid membranes in contact with water. At the same time, conductivity of membranes containing sulfonic acid modified ceria exceeded that of the pristine Nafion-117 membrane at 30% relative humidity (RH). Hydrogen permeability decreased for composite membranes with ceria synthesized from cerium (III) nitrate, which correlates with their water uptake. In hydrogen-air fuel cells, membrane electrode assembly fabricated with the hybrid membrane containing ceria synthesized from cerium (IV) sulfate exhibited a peak power density of 433 mW/cm² at a current density of 1080 mA/cm², while operating at 60 °C and 70% RH. It was 1.5 times higher than for the pristine Nafion-117 membrane (287 mW/cm² at a current density of 714 mA/cm²).

SUBMITTER: Yurova PA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8348518 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Species transport in thin-film Nafion heavily influences proton-exchange membrane (PEMFC) performance, particularly in low-platinum-loaded cells. Literature suggests that phase-segregated nanostructures in hydrated Nafion thin films can reduce species mobility and increase transport losses in cathode catalyst layers. However, these structures have primarily been observed at silicon-Nafion interfaces rather than at more relevant material (e.g., Pt and carbon black) interfaces. In this work, we use neutron reflectometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to investigate carbon-supported Nafion thin films. Measurements were taken in humidified environments for Nafion thin films (≈30-80 nm) on four different carbon substrates. Results show a variety of interfacial morphologies in carbon-supported Nafion. Differences in carbon samples' roughness, surface chemistry, and hydrophilicity suggest that thin-film Nafion phase segregation is impacted by multiple substrate characteristics. For instance, hydrophilic substrates with smooth surfaces correlate with a high likelihood of lamellar phase segregation parallel to the substrate. When present, the lamellar structures are less pronounced than those observed at silicon oxide interfaces. Local oscillations in water volume fraction for the lamellae were less severe, and the lamellae were thinner and were not observed when the water was removed, all in contrast to Nafion-silicon interfaces. For hydrophobic and rough samples, phase segregation was more isotropic rather than lamellar. Results suggest that Nafion in PEMFC catalyst layers is less influenced by the interface compared with thin films on silicon. Despite this, our results demonstrate that neutron reflectometry measurements of silicon-Nafion interfaces are valuable for PEMFC performance predictions, as water uptake in the majority Nafion layers (i.e., the uniformly hydrated region beyond the lamellar region) trends similarly with thickness, regardless of support material.

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Nafion/Surface Modified Ceria Hybrid Membranes for Fuel Cell Application.

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